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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232942">Heaven With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertRaven/pseuds/DesertRaven'>DesertRaven</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hope is a Dangerous Thing [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), I Tried, Mostly Pwp, Oral Sex, Sexual Content, Soft Zenos, There’s a hint of plot here, Unnamed WoL, no beta we just die, this was supposed to be fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:49:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertRaven/pseuds/DesertRaven</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU.</p>
<p>The Warrior of Light makes a deal in the Royal Menagerie. Soft moments follow.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hope is a Dangerous Thing [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heaven With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This whole mess started because of a post on Tumblr where someone said there isn’t enough soft Zenos. That thought has been living in my brain and now we have this. So random Tumblr person, if you’re out there, here you go.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“Together, we could while away the quiet hours, as friend and confidant… if you will accept me.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“I accept you.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Are we to embrace and let bygones be bygones? Do our deeds weigh so little that you would cast all aside? Come. 'Twas plain from the first how this would end.”</i>
</p>
<p>“A deal, then.”</p>
<p>Zenos raised one eyebrow at that, apparently interested in what she had to say rather than listening to himself talk.</p>
<p>“I will grant you the fight you are so desperate for. But when I win, you will surrender and leave Ala Mhigo with me.”</p>
<p>Despite the pounding in her chest, she kept her face carefully neutral. If the resistance leaders, or the Scions, had been here they likely would have been horrified. They would call for justice, or retribution, but she had no interest in such things. She had recklessly, foolishly, fallen for this mad prince. Atrocities or no, what justice could there be in destroying such a perfect creature?</p>
<p>“Very well, then.”</p>
<p>There was no fear in her as she watched him merge with the primal, only the thrill that always preceded these battles.</p>
<p>“An ending to mark a new beginning.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>———</p>
</div>The bed was cold and empty when she woke, though she wasn’t surprised to find it so. Zenos had ever been an early riser. She sat up, swinging her legs out of bed and shivering as her bare feet touched the floor. Even through the thick carpeting, the stones never really warmed. She hated the cold and snow, but Ishgard had been the only reasonable compromise for them.<p>She reached for the thick dressing gown that had been tossed to the floor last night, her body warming at the memory of him tearing it away from her in his desperation to bare her skin. The ache between her legs was a pleasant reminder of his passion as she padded out of the bedroom.</p>
<p>Zenos was seated in one of the high backed chairs before the fireplace, golden hair pulled over one bare shoulder as he read. Unlike her, the cold didn’t seem to even touch him and he rarely wore more than a loose pair of lounge pants. Not that she minded the view.</p>
<p>“There’s coffee, though I doubt it’s still warm since you’ve slept half the day away.”</p>
<p>He didn’t bother to glance up from his book, and so he missed her rolling her eyes at him as she crossed the sitting area to the little kitchen.</p>
<p>“Would that we all had your discipline to rise before the sun.”</p>
<p>She pulled the pot from the stovetop, not surprised to find it still warm from the oven's flame. Of all the things she had learned about him in their time together, his domesticity had been the most surprising. He teased her mercilessly for her sleeping habits, but the coffee was always kept ready for when she did wake. She poured her cup, wrapping both hands around it to warm herself as she moved to join him.</p>
<p>Zenos shifted the book to one hand, opening his arms to make room for her to sit in his lap. She arranged herself against his chest, snuggling into the warmth that radiated off him, before leaning up to plant a kiss on his cheek.</p>
<p>“Good morning, my little beast.”</p>
<p>His affectionate tone never failed to make her smile.</p>
<p>“What are you reading?”</p>
<p>“Eorzean history.” He closed the book with a snap. “I suppose I should learn more about the savages you have allied me with.”</p>
<p>She frowned at his choice of words. Many things had changed, but many things had not.</p>
<p>Zenos was not the only one less than thrilled about the alliance. The Scions, and most of the Alliance leaders, had been aghast when she had absconded with the crown prince following their battle. When she had returned proposing peace talks, they all assumed he had done something to her. Only Aymeric and Hien had been willing to indulge her, at first. Varis himself had been the most receptive.</p>
<p>And so they had muddled their way through negotiations. Zenos had been bored to tears, and boredom had made him irritable. Those talks had been the spark to many of their more… intense couplings, some of which they both still bore scars from. She tore her thoughts away from the past and sipped her coffee as he combed his fingers through her hair, still messy from sleep.</p>
<p>“How fortunate, then, that you share a bed with the savages’ champion.” She slid out of his lap to return her now-empty mug to the kitchen. “What are your plans today?”</p>
<p>This house was supposed to be their escape. His from the empire, and hers from the endless grind of trying to be everything to everyone. Still, she was hesitant to ask that when they were here, there were no other distractions. In the early days there had been a lot of fighting to establish boundaries; neither of them wanted to be shackled by the other but both of them were too stubborn to have a real conversation about it. If he had plans other than spending the next however long in front of the fire or in bed, she wouldn’t interrupt.</p>
<p>He hadn’t answered her question. She frowned and circled back around to stand in front of him, hands on her hips. He looked lost in thought, staring into the fire, until she put her hand on his jaw and turned his face towards her. “What is it?”</p>
<p>She didn’t need to ask. It would be his father, it was always his father when he was in this mood. Had he been like this last night? She couldn’t remember. He had come in late and pushed her into the bedroom, his need to be inside her overriding anything else. They’d both fallen asleep soon after.</p>
<p>Zenos pulled at the tie to her gown until it fell open, sliding one hand under the fabric and over her hip, around to grip her ass, squeezing until she whined and leaned into him.</p>
<p>“Distract me, beast.” He paused for a moment before adding, more quietly, “We can discuss it later.”</p>
<p>Had her body not already started responding to his touch, she might have been more concerned with the fact that he wanted to discuss it at all.</p>
<p>She shrugged off her robe and leaned over him, one hand braced against the armrest. Her other hand stroked his face, pausing when he leaned into her touch, then continued down. Fingertips traced the scarred plane of his chest, goosebumps rising in their wake, down to his stomach, following the curves of well-defined muscles. His hands rested lightly on her hips, but he made no move to control or direct her. Zenos would take over at some point, she knew, but until then she would enjoy the opportunity.</p>
<p>She followed the v-shaped muscle of his lower abs, barely dipping her fingers under the waistline of his pants. When his grip on her tightened she drew her hand back up to trail just her nails along that same line, getting no closer to where he so clearly wanted her touch. He pulled her into him, his knee parting her thighs, and she shuddered at the friction before quickly regaining her composure. This was about him. Her pleasure could wait, and it would be that much sweeter for it.</p>
<p>The hand that had braced against the arm of the chair moved to curl around the back of his neck, fingers gently threading into his hair, while her other hand traveled down over his pants to find the bulge of his manhood. He breathed a sigh at the contact, ruffling her hair. Her lips met his, softly, before moving to his jaw to trail more soft kisses and bites along the curve to his ear.</p>
<p>“Let me take care of you,” she purred, her voice heavy with desire. Zenos groaned in response and she felt him twitch against her hand as she stroked him through the fabric.</p>
<p>She straightened slowly, pulling his hands from her hips as she stepped back. Taking one hand in hers, she tugged him up from the chair and led him into the bedroom. At the foot of the bed, she hooked her fingers under the waistband of his pants and bent to draw them down his legs to the floor. His growing length bobbed free, the pre beading on the head tempting her to taste, but much as she would have liked to, their size difference made taking him that way near impossible. She pushed him back to the bed and he obliged, moving back until he rested against the headboard.</p>
<p>On hands and knees she crawled up the bed until she reached his hips. His eyes, dark with arousal, watched her every move. How long until that self control snapped? The corners of her lips tipped up in a teasing smile and she wrapped her hand around the base of him, his eyes fluttering closed on a groan. She leaned down, flattening her tongue against the underside just above her grip and dragging it up the length to the head, the salty tang of his fluid making her moan softly.</p>
<p>Zenos gasped her name, his hand flying to the back of her head as she closed her lips around the tip of his member. She hummed in response as she continued to slide her mouth down until he bumped the back of her throat. She knew from experience that she couldn’t take his full length, though not for lack of trying. His fingers clenched in her hair, his hips jerking slightly, as she worked him with her lips and tongue and hand, until her jaw ached from the strain of accommodating his girth. He pulled her up with a sharp tug, making her gasp as he popped out of her mouth. She braced herself, ready to be thrown onto her back so he could take what was his, but instead he pulled her up into his arms.</p>
<p>The first brush of his lips against hers was almost tentative, like this was the first time they were doing this. She leaned into him, deepening the kiss and taking control of it before he could; her hands went to his shoulders as she moved to straddle him, chasing him when he shifted them so that he was laying on his back with his head and shoulders propped on the pillows. She caught his lower lip between her teeth, nipping gently at first but then biting down until he groaned into her. </p>
<p>Their panting breaths mingled as they parted. He kissed her again, softly, then his hands on her hips guided her back until the wet heat of her core brushed against his straining erection. “Show me how much you can take, little beast.”</p>
<p>Lightning raced down her spine and she shivered, rocking over him until just the tip of him parted her slick folds. Despite the wetness that dripped from her and despite having been with him last night, her body was far from ready, but that was part of the game. She craved the pain as much as he craved seeing her writhe from it.</p>
<p>She braced her hands against his chest, leaning forward slightly as she lowered herself onto him, taking the first few ilms with a gasp. The way he watched her face made her flush hot, somehow more embarrassed than she would have been had he stared at the obscene way he split her open. She sank lower, whimpering at the stretch. His palms caressed her sides, one hand coming up to cup her breast. Too small, she had always thought, but if her body dissatisfied him he never let her see. He rolled her tightly budded nipple with the pad of his thumb, making her shiver.</p>
<p>A sheen of sweat coated her skin, muscles trembling as her body stretched around him. Ilm by ilm she dropped, breath coming in ragged gasps. How he maintained even a shred of composure was well beyond her. His hands still caressed her, up her legs to her sides, over her breasts, and back down again. She sucked in a breath, curling away from his touch when he brushed against the bulge in her lower stomach.</p>
<p>“That’s it, you’re so close.” His thumb found her clit, stroking over it once with agonizingly light pressure, and she threw her head back with a moan. “Impale yourself on my cock, little beast, and I’ll fuck you as hard as you need.”</p>
<p>The soothing croon of his voice was entirely at odds with the absolute filth of his words, but that was all it took. She pushed her hips down, gasping out a cry when her hips settled fully against him. The muscles in his stomach clenched tight but he didn’t move, giving her a moment to adjust. His thumb continued to roll over her nub, drawing little stuttering jerks from her hips. She drew a shaky breath, wiping away tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes before they could fall.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” </p>
<p>She could hear the strain in his voice. What little restraint he had left was fading quickly. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist, then the room was rolling as he flipped them over to pin her against the bed. Her legs came up to hook around his hips, somehow trying to pull him closer, deeper, though there was nothing left to give. </p>
<p>With one arm still around her and the other planted firm against the bed to hold his weight, Zenos began to move within her. His thrusts were measured, drawn out to make her shudder and whine as she dug her nails into his back. He knew exactly how to make her desperate for more; it was in the way he held her and the angle of his hips as he rocked into her, unhurried, as though he had all the time in the world. It didn’t take long for her to start matching his movements, hips connecting with a satisfying jolt at the peak of each thrust. Soft gasps became moans as he increased his pace, the pain being replaced with aching need.</p>
<p>He shifted his hand to grip under her knee, pushing it up towards her chest and driving impossibly deeper into her. Her back bowed and she saw stars, breath catching on a sob of pleasure. Heat coiled around the base of her spine, the beginnings of her release, and wound tighter as he shunted into her again and again, bruising, rearranging her to fit him. Even now, even after all this time and all the tenderness between them, she could still feel the violence in his touch, and her body cried out for it.</p>
<p>“Harder, Zenos, please!”</p>
<p>His response was little more than a growl and a tightening of his grip. The next snap of his hips drove the air from her lungs and all she could do was hold tight to him, gasping his name and every curse she could think of as her pleasure raced toward its peak. Her hands clenched uselessly, nails carving crescents into his shoulders. He didn’t slow even as her body seized in her climax, all the built tension and heat exploding from her core like liquid fire. It didn’t take long after that for him to find his own release, his body so tight against hers that she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.</p>
<p>Zenos rolled to his side, pulling her with him, still hilted within her with her top leg hooked over his hip. For long moments, nothing existed outside of their bed, outside of the two of them. There was only the beat of his heart against her cheek where she curled into the safety of his arms, the small shared aftershocks, and their slowing breaths.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>———</p>
</div>The smell of food woke her again some time later. She stretched, smiling, and rolled out of the bed.<p>“Sometimes I think you feign sleep so you can avoid cooking.”</p>
<p>She laughed, retrieving her robe from where it fell earlier as she crossed to the kitchen.</p>
<p>“You don’t like my cooking.”</p>
<p>“You burn everything.”</p>
<p>Zenos set the plates down on their small table, tucked in the scant space between the kitchen and the sitting area. She could have afforded more, he certainly could have, but not without compromising their privacy. And after all the time they spent away from each other, there was something immensely comforting about the closeness of the space. Of course, all the furniture was Ishgardian and her feet didn’t touch the floor in any of the chairs, and she couldn’t comfortably reach the table without sitting on her knees, but she made do.</p>
<p>His mood from earlier returned in full force as they ate, the ominous black cloud filling the room until she felt she would suffocate in it. He stared into the middle distance, almost unblinking, his fork making the journey from plate to mouth on mechanical efficiency alone.</p>
<p>“You’re brooding.” Her quiet admonishment wasn’t enough to break his trance. “Zenos.”</p>
<p>When his attention finally snapped to her, he looked so lost. A million panicked thoughts raced through her mind and she took a breath to calm herself.</p>
<p>“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”</p>
<p>He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, eyes everywhere except on her.</p>
<p>“Your alliance has… upset plans.” </p>
<p>Her brows furrowed in confusion. The emperor had been welcoming, even enthusiastic, about working towards partnership, if not peace. She knew there were those who didn’t approve of the alliance, on both sides, but what plans could have been so upset that it would put Zenos in this mood?</p>
<p>“There are those who have an interest in conflict and the chaos it breeds.”</p>
<p>Ascians. It made sense that they would continue to have a hand in things. And if they were involved, inevitably she would get pulled into some fight or another. At the very least she could expect the tenuous peace they had built to crumble. She would need to tell the Scions and the Alliance leaders, prepare them for whatever was coming. Her fighting skills were rusty, she would need to spend more time training. Maybe Zenos could help her… her thoughts trailed off when she focused back on him. He looked utterly stricken.</p>
<p>“It will be fine, I have done this before.”</p>
<p>Even as she said it, she was less than sure. What had he seen that made him, who had taken her to the very limits of her strength, more than once, fear for her? She couldn’t recall ever having seen him afraid.</p>
<p>It could wait. She wouldn’t ruin their time together, precious as it was, with planning for the unknown.</p>
<p>“Come on.” She pushed back from the table and stood. “Get dressed, we’re going out.”</p>
<p>If they stayed in here, they would both dwell. They could go over to the Forgotten Knight and drink, or check the hunt board. He would be bored with anything there, but at least it would be something to do, something to take their minds off of everything else. If nothing else, they could just leave the city and take a walk.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>———</p>
</div>Later that evening, after drinks and a horribly ill advised drunken hunt and dinner and, of course, another round in bed, they stretched out on a pile of furs and blankets in front of the fire. She took his hand in hers, tracing the lines on his palm with her finger, trying to memorize the feel of him. If she could spend the rest of her life in these moments she could die happily, but reality would call them both away again and she didn’t know what was to come. Zenos pulled her tighter against his side with an arm around her waist and leaned to kiss the top of her head.<p>“Everything is going to be alright. I am the Warrior of Light, you know,” she murmured, bringing his hand up to kiss it. Maybe she could keep telling herself that and that would make it true. She sighed, letting go of his hand so she could put one of hers on his chest over his heart, feel it beating steady and sure. “I love you.”</p>
<p>Three words rarely spoken aloud. She didn’t need or expect him to say them back; emotions were not his strength, and she could feel it even if he couldn’t say it. They would weather the coming storm, together, and that would be enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading :)</p>
<p>Join me and people who write a whole lot better than me at <a href="https://discord.gg/K9PW9qv">Emet-Selch's Wholesomely Debauched and Enabling Book Club</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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